A councillor could be found guilty of bringing her local authority into disrepute after saying golliwogs were “nostalgic, not racist”.

It has been recommended Conservative Councillor Dawn Barnett is disciplined by Brighton and Hove City Council for comments to The Argus in a story about the sale of golliwog merchandise in a kitchenware shop.

The hearing on Thursday has been criticised by her fellow Conservatives as “Kafkaesque” and “a waste of taxpayers’ money”.

An investigation by the council’s standards and complaint manager Brian Foley considered Coun Barnett’s comments had the potential to “cause division” and might offend some members of the community while also being inconsistent with the council’s “zero tolerance” to racism.

In August she said she thought golliwogs were “nostalgic, not racist” and complaints against Bert’s Homestore selling golliwog placemats were “political correctness gone too far”.

The Hangleton and Knoll representative is set to be cleared of other charges of causing the council to fail in any of its equality duties and of failing to treat others with respect because the comments were not targeted against any particular group or individual.

In a council report published prior to the hearing, it was revealed the authority had four “separate but similar” complaints from three residents and the council’s Black and Minority Ethnic Workers’ Forum about Coun Barnett’s comments.

One complainant asked for an apology from Coun Barnett while another said they wished to see her expelled from the council. The council has no power to disqualify Coun Barnett as a member or withdraw her allowances.

The hearing panel of three councillors for the Standards Committee will make a decision on Thursday whether they agree with the findings of the report and decide what sanctions, if any, are applicable.

Fellow Hangleton and Knoll Councillor Tony Janio said: “This is like some sort of political show trial.

“The council have made up some rules about how they believe people should behave and these are the only they can bring against Dawn.

“If the council keep making up these silly rules we will be gagged from speaking about what our residents really care about. What a waste of resources, surely they have got enough troubles on their hands already.”